1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to plant holders and, more particularly, to plant holders in pot form which retain soil and the plant therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pots for holding plants are well known and are made from a variety of materials. In this respect, the following U. S. patents disclose a number of different materials used for plant pots: 4,031,663, 4,043,077, 4,320,596, 4,346,532, and 5,450,691. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,663 discloses a planter made from wood. Wood is primarily an organic material and is susceptible to decomposition and destruction in the presence of moisture and microscopic organisms. In this respect, it would be desirable if a pot for plants were provided that is not made from wood.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,077 discloses a plant pot that includes degradable plastic, another organic material, for durability. In this respect, it would be desirable if a pot for plants were provided that is not made from degradable plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,596 discloses a plant pot that is made from concrete. U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,532 discloses plant pots made from ceramics. U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,691 discloses a support for plants made from metal. Each of the inorganic materials concrete, ceramics, and metal may provide durability that organic materials do not provide. However, the long-range durability of such plant pots made from concrete, ceramics, and metal may not be certain. The long-range durability depends upon specific formulations of the materials and the specific conditions that were employed in making the pots from the materials. Rather than have plant pots made from materials whose durability has not been proved through the test of time, it would be desirable if a pot for plants were provided that is made from material that has proved durable over long periods of time. In addition, it would be desirable if a pot for plants were provided using natural materials that do not have to be formulated, mixed, and fabricated by man.
Still other features would be desirable in a pot for plants. For example, to assure that plants in pots are not easily tipped or blown over, it would be desirable if the pots were made from relatively dense material to provide a relatively low center of gravity of the plant/pot combination. Also, to assure that plants in the pot do not get water logged, it would be desirable if a plant pot were provided that has a drain channel in the bottom of the pot for excess water to drain out.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use pots for plants, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a plant pot which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) is not made from wood; (2) is not made from degradable plastic; (3) is made from material that has proved durable over long periods of time; (4) uses natural materials that do not have to be formulated, mixed, and fabricated by man; (5) is made from relatively dense material; and (6) has a drain channel in the bottom of the pot for excess water to drain out. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique natural rock planter apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.